The The Didactics of Children’s and Young Adult Literature in Spanish university teaching plans

Abstract

This study analyses the compulsory subjects in Spanish language related to the Didactics of Children’s and Young Adult Literature in the degrees of teachers in Primary Education of Spanish universities based on the analysis of the data reflected in their teaching plans. Information was obtained from 40 Spanish universities. Several aspects are analysed, such as their field of knowledge (specific didactics - social and legal sciences or philology - humanities), its nature within the various curricula, the credits assigned, its name as a subject, the frequency of its main thematic descriptors and course bibliography. Based on this eminently quantitative analysis, the general conclusion is that in almost all these aspects there is great heterogeneity and a lack of common criteria, at least in the presentation of the subjects. This may be due to the relatively recent creation of departments of language and literature didactics in Spanish universities, which has repercussions both on the efforts to stabilise the area and on the progressive epistemological accommodation of children’s and young adult literature in the degrees where it is taught.